Vijay-led TVK to Join INDIA Bloc Meet Seeking CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Removal
As part of the meeting, the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner is expected to be among the key demands raised by the opposition alliance
Chennai: In a major churning in the INDIA coalition, the TVK attended a State-level meeting of the alliance while the DMK that had been playing the lead role ahead of its split with the Congress kept off the gathering at the Sathyamurthy Bhavan, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee headquarters, on Saturday, portending a major shift in political equations in the State and at the national level.
While the meeting announced a massive protest on October 15 in Chennai to save Indian democracy from destruction and ‘Save Democracy’ agitations in all the district headquarters of Tamil Nadu on October 13 and 14, there were no formal announcements on either the TVK formally joining the alliance or the DMK snapping ties completely.
The DMK that was conspicuous by its absence in the meeting did not assign any reasons for the boycott of the meeting held in Chennai and the TVK, despite deputing prominent State Ministers Aadhav Arjuna and Marie Wilson as its representatives did not make a song and dance about joining the national level alliance that was formed to take on the BJP.
TNCC president Manickam Tagore, who presided over the meeting, welcomed the TVK into the coalition without making it clear if the ruling party in the State had become an integral part of the alliance, replacing the DMK. Given the open display of acrimony between the TVK and the DMK even in the ongoing campaign for the by elections, it was unlikely that the two parties could be part of the same alliance.
However, leaders of the parties that were part of the erstwhile coalition led by the DMK in the State attended the INDIA bloc meeting. Among them were MDMK founder Vaiko, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, CPM state general secretary P Shanmugham, CPI’s Rabindranath and IUML’s Abubackar, besides Congress leaders.
Earlier when the INDIA coalition was formed with the DMK steering it in Tamil Nadu, the meetings of the alliance would be held in Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters with the then Chief Minister and party president M K Stalin presiding over the proceedings.
Now with Tagore in the chair, the meeting passed resolutions against the conduct of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for using the Election Commission and Gyaanesh Kumar as weapons to demolish Indian democracy.
Through SIR, which was brought in with the aim of burying democracy in the country, the Election Commission had disenfranchised 13 crore eligible voters, the meeting alleged and sought the support of all sections of society to its protests.
The political development is likely to divide the anti-BJP votes, which was substantial in numbers in Tamil Nadu, between the TVK led alliance in the State and the DMK, which was hitherto seen as the sole and primary opponent of the BJP.
